Display device



Feb. 7; 1939. y E, wE.. 2,145,999

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Dec. 12, 193 4 v I K26 7% 5 Inventvr,

Isattomey,

Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES I DISPLAY DEVICE Edgar Well, Philadelphia, Pa. Application. December 12, 1934, Serial No. 757,177

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 40-130) This invention relates to display devices, particularly to that kind thereof wherein the display is principally of characters or letters having an appreciable thickness and which stand out freely in silhouetted, colored contrast as against an illuminated background, in spaced relation therefrom. 7

Some transparent, colored plastic substances, such as certain kinds of catalin and glass, lend a beautiful appearance to objects made thereof, when illuminated. The illumination may be from a direct source of light, or it may come indirectly as from an illuminated background, which is spaced therefrom, bringing out a pleasing silhouetted appearance simulating a kind of incandescence as of a luciform nature to the characters thereto, as they stand out freely from the background. It is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide a display device construction, particularly one for sign purposes,,

wherein the characters or letters are made of light transmitting, colored solid, luciform, substances, such as certain kinds of catalin, or other like substances, capable of like luciform optical effects, as when light passes therethrough, causing the substance to glow in an extra bright appearance, particularly when viewed as silhouetted against an illuminated background, spaced therefrom, while having the source of light hidden from direct view.

A further object of my invention is to provide a display construction, particularly one for sign purposes, fulfilling the above named principal object and in addition usinga light transmitting member, adapted to modify the light rays from the lamp, in a manner to improve the lighting effect of both the solid, luciform, light transmitting, colored characters or letters, and the background. I

Another object is to provide a display construction, fulfilling the above named principal object and in addition thereto, using a white illuminated background, so as to enhance the colored, luciform light appearance of the solid characters or letters, thereby brightening them, without diluting the natural color of the same with another color, and at the same time strengthen the contrast of the silhouetted appearance of the said. solid, luciform characters or letters, stand ing out freely in front of the bright background.

On the other hand, a further object of my invention is to provide a display sign device construction, in a modified form, yet fulfilling the above named principal object, which is modified in this case by the addition of an illuminated PATENT OFFICE background, of a color other than white in lighting effect, which also differs from the natural color of the displayed and silhouetted solid, luciform characters, in a manner to blend with their natural color or colors, to modify the appearance of the same, in a pleasing effect, as for example, having a yellow illuminated background to go with a naturally blue colored, solid, luciform, light transmitting, character or letter, giving the latter a greenish appearance, as against the yellow 10 background.

Another object of this invention is to provide a display device construction, particularly for sign purposes, using solid, luciform, light transmitting colored characters, having the said construction adapted for a change of said characters, using the same or a different background, which may also be changeable.

And another object of this invention is to provide a display device which, while fulfilling the above mentioned principal object, willhave the background and characters positioned either above, below, or maybe to one side of the light source.

With these and other objects, which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in certain display construction, which. includes the use of characters or letters made of solid adaptable luciform colored, light transmitting material. One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the :0 drawing. Its parts are described, their particular functions being explained and what I claim is set forth.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a display device for sign purposes, embodying one form of my invention, showing a horizontal line of tipstanding letters above the lamps.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan of the device shown ,in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is an and elevation of the display device for sign purposes, similar to that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, but in this case the characters 45 or letters hang down, the lamps being above.

Figure 5 is an elevation of a fragment of an upstanding, notched wall, of the character trough.

Considering the construction of the display device for sign purposes, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5 3, a sheet metal channeled, housing member l0, of the box II, has a bottom portion l2, and front and back wall portions l3 and I4, respectively. The end walls are marked 15 and I6. Surmounting the front wall I3, is a trough ll, having an inclined back wall it and a seating portion is, in the front part of which is fixed a long plate 20,

spaced from the inclined back wall I8, forming a narrow channel 2|, in which releasably fits the character member 22, having a base portion 23 and freely upstanding letters 24. I preferably make the character member 22 of polished colored, light transmitting, luciform, glowable, catalin, cut from sheets thereof, although the upstanding characters may be of any configuration, other than letters, and be made of any other suitable, light transmitting colored luciform material, than catalin, and need not necessarily be made uniform in thickness.

It will be observed that the character member 22 is shown to be inclined backward, which position I prefer for better illuminating reasons, although the characters may stand vertical or in any other desired position, out from the .trough IT. The character member 22 has projecting screws 25, in its base portion 23, which engage vertical notches 26, in the inclined back wall [8, of the trough H, for longitudinally positioning any character member 22, which may be one of a group of character members, each with different characters, but having similarly spaced screws 25, in the base portion 23, positioned in spaced relation in each member 22, to fit into the respective notches 26. Fixed to the back wall portion ,is the upstanding background plate 21, which may be of any material, preferably flat faced and colored, however, I prefer to use a polished white plate, unless I want a mixed colored effect, having the light transmitting luciform characters of one natural color and the background of another color, which will nicely blend therewith, as for instance, having the characters of natural'red luciform catalin, and the background plate 21, yellow, so that the characters will then appear orange, silhouetted in bright, glowing contrast, against the yellow background, and in spaced relation thereto. Positioned within the box II, are the long bulbed electric lamps 28, which illuminate both the background plate 21' and the letters 24. By inclining the letters 24 backward, the illumination thereof is somewhat improved, however, the letters 24 could stand vertical, or lean forward, if desired. v

In the front wall l3, there is a window opening l3 surrounded by a flange l3, which serves as a frame to the transparent letter plate lie, in which are embedded the colored transparent letters I3 Between the plate W and the lamps 28, is a lightdiifusing plate i3.

29 is an electric cord passing through the ring 30, of the back wall portion H, to the lamps 28. For modifying the direct illuminating light rays coming from the lamps 28, I provide a light diffusing plate 3|, which may be any color, or may be white. I have found what is known as white opal flash glass, quite suitable to form the plate 3| from, as it diffuses thelight rays and modifies the same to give a distinctive and very pleasing illuminating effect,both to the background, and the colored light transmitting solid, luciform characters or letters.

The sign device may be used having the letters or characters stand up as shown in Figure 1, or to hang, as is Figure 4, below the level of the lamps 28, as when the device shown in Fige ure 1 is turned upside down and supported, but of course, in this case, the letters 24 would be reversed, with respect to the base portion 23, so as to appear right side up. The end view of the device, shown in Figure 4, shows the letters 24 in a vertical plane. Any number of such display devices, as shown in the figures, may be grouped one above the other or in any other relative position, as desired. While the device Just described shows only three lettters, it can be made as long.

as desired, to accommodate the number of letters used.

The sign devices illustrated and above described, may be supported in any desired position to function for the unique showing of the colored, light transmitting freely positioned, individual solid, luciform characters, standing out in silhouetted appearance spaced from an illuminated and appropriate background. But of course, for whatever position it is desired to support the sign device, the letters or characters, should be right side up.

Polished colored solid, luciform catalin characters or letters afford a distinctive and pleasing appearance when illuminated directly, in conjunction 'with havingthe indirect light from an illuminated background passed through themito the observer. This distinctive appearance, pe-

use of a white background, a glow is given to the colored solid, luciform characters, that makes them stand out in moredistinct contrast, silhouetted, as spaced in front of the white back ground.

While the use of a white background improves the appearance of the solid, luciform characters to make them glow brighter in silhouetted contrast with the white background, a pleasing color combination ishad by the use of one color for the background, and the uselof a different colored light transmitting and solid, "luciform substance for the characters or letters, but the best effect depends upon the proper combination of the colors selected, otherwise the characters or letters will appear dull.

The use of the diifusing plates '3i, 49 and 50, in the devices, spreads the light rays more uniformly. White opal flash glass is well adapted to this use, in connection with solid, luciform characters. The diffusing plates can be dispensed with, so that the direct rays from the lamps illuminate the background plates and the characters or letters.

I find it an advantage in improving the silhouetted appearance of the characters, to have a face portion of the device, which immediately adjoins the characters (as Not Figure 1), of the same color as.the background, regardless of the position of the device.

In Figure 1 the inlaid colored, transparent letters l3 in the plate l3, are not silhouetted against an illuminated background, but are illu- -culiar to solid, luciform catalincan hardly be Z5 minated by the rays from the lamps 28, coming l. A display device of the character described,

having in combination, a housing, including a lamp compartment with an open side, a lamp in said compartment positioned to have its rays shine through the said open side, a background memberpositioned back of said open side and also positioned to have its forward face extend beyond said open side, where its forward face may receive light coming through said open side, from' said lamp, a character formed from light transmitting, luciform, glowable material, said character being positioned in front of said background member, extending beyond said open side, where the rear face of said character may receive light EDGAR WEIL. 

